Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Alas, Poor Facebook

If I only had a nickel for all the apologies I’ve made. Or was asked to make. Or a dime for the ones people think they deserve.

To
wit: My Facebook activity wanes when life’s other
distractions loom larger. But, as many of you know, FB has a nifty feature aimed at
dragging you back by reminding you of what you posted a year ago,
two years ago, and so forth. “Here’s
your memory!” it says. And sometimes it’s appropriate to revisit the
post.

I wrote about Chuck Dixon and Tony Isabella and the politics
of comics (and the comics of politics) three years ago, prior to the recent
presidential election. Post the election, I’ve only written about politics when
paid to do so. I won’t explain that. You either get it or you don’t.

You really don’t? Fine, I’ll explain.

Most people mark time by the BIG events we have in common. As in “before Emancipation,” “after
the Stock Market crashed,” and so forth. In my short lifetime, it was “after
Kennedy was assassinated,” “before the Beatles played Ed Sullivan,” and “after
9-11.”

And, most recently, “Post November.” Some of you call it “Post
Trump.” Others, “After Obama.”

Before the Beatles played Ed Sullivan, there was one set of expectations
about music. After they played, there was another. Don’t bother arguing with
me. On this subject, and few others, everyone is wrong and I’m right.

No need to go into what occurred after 9-11.

But “Post November,” things got ugly. The power shoe was on the
other foot. The emotional civil war (which is more dangerous than the
ideological civil war) went into overdrive. People really got their hate on.

On Facebook (because all roads lead to Facebook), I watched
people banning and “unfriending” each other like it was a bodily function, which was sort of sickening. Most bodily functions are, unless they’re your
own. These weren’t my own. Mine smell okay to me.

I decided to stay out of it. No politics on Facebook. I wasn’t stumping
for “my side” (who is it? who is it?) or any side, or joining any conversations
about the president, the parties, or the various tribes. Unless, of course, someone was
paying me to do it. Because that’s what I do—I write about things
professionally (as in “for a living”). I’m okay with that: I've maintained my convictions; I don’t
write anything that I don’t believe, regardless of who I write for, but neither do I jam my professional
writing into my personal social media space. I save Facebook for hobbies and things
I enjoy. Comics. Music. Family. Martial arts.

Three years ago—“Pre November”—I wrote about
writer Chuck Dixon’s take on Conservatives being banned from comics and writer/editor Tony Isabella’s
disagreement with Chuck, and Chuck’s with Tony. That was something I wrote for
fun, as in I wasn’t paid to write it. It wasn’t really fun but I was interested
because I like Chuck’s comics writing very much and Chuck and I are several degrees more than
friendly, and Tony Isabella was very kind to me when I was getting started
as a writer (“Post Nixon,” “Pre 9-11”)and has remained so on-again, off-again for three decades. I'm
not sure how Tony feels about me today (is it Wednesday?) but we share a
close friend in author Harlan Ellison, a terrific author who was born
“After
the stock Market crashed” but not very much after.

The piece I wrote about Chuck and Tony and Politics and Comics popped up on its third year Facebook anniversary,
lest auld acquaintance be
forgot, and I reposted it. And because I reposted it in a “Post November” world,
it has already received 500+ comments. The comments come from members of
various tribes. People who would, given the opportunity, banish their fellows
to another country or even another planet and, failing that, block and “unfriend” each other on
Facebook after a liberal (and I use the term as Oxford does, meaning “generous”)
dose of criticism, often bile covered, minimally snarky.

I’ve been asked to chime in. I’ve been asked
how I feel about a particular comment in a thread of 500+ comments. But I can’t
answer that because I haven’t read most of those comments. Comments from people that I don’t
know are graffiti to me and if I only learned one thing from Chargé
D'affairesHarlan Ellison it is this: avoid the tar pit.

This doesn’t mean I don’t care what people write, or what
they write on my Facebook wall, within reason. There’s certain things, I’m
certain, that could raise my dander, and those who’ve worked hard to pull my
tail over the years undoubtedly have stories to tell. But I won’t be drawn into the milieu of “Post
November” tribalism. I don’t feel the need to banish and unfriend people that I
don’t even know.

“Don’t even know? Why are you friends?”

We’re not. They “friended” me. The holy word Friend
has been re-nuanced and defrocked and made into garbage. Like the words
conservative and liberal. Like the word gay, which once meant “light hearted”
and trump, which meant “to have superior power over.” People “friend” me for
various reasons. Facebook tells me I have 3659 friends.

I only have six or eight Friends. And only three of them are
on Facebook.

2 comments:

The separation of person from consequence allowed by a glowing screen, has seemed to exaggerate people's vitriol. People's vehemence suddenly comes pour...as true hate. This seems to feed on itself and the next poster has to out hate the first, until the entire point of it, discussion of ideas, is lost. No one can argue, or discuss ... The can merely accuse. I hope to personally remember how to duscuss, disagree, and learn from the people who don't share my point of view. But I know I will growl too.

Meth Addict

Attempting to post comments to this blog? Note that I don't accept anonymous comments. No guts, no glory.

Eye of the Beholder

Meth is a dangerous writer. He doesn’t seem to care if you like him.- Neal Adams

Meth’s writing is fresh and absorbing—clever and replete with surprises.- Stan Lee

Anyone who can give Barry Windsor-Smith a pissy fit is okay in my book.- Joe Staton

The only thing about Cliff’s writing that makes me crazy is the demented titles he puts on them. For a guy who writes as well as he does, and who thinks as deeply as he does, I can’t figure it out! - Harlan Ellison

Clifford Meth is one of dark fiction's best-kept secrets.- Barnes and Noble

Meth is one of the more intriguing writers of short stories to arrive in recent years. A damned fine writer. He does not write the easy stories.- Tony Isabella / The Comic Buyer’s Guide

Meth’s imagination, integrity and insight are touched by a dark, often perverse humor. It’s always exciting to discover new writers on their way up—and Meth’s course is worth charting. - Jim Steranko

I don’t know how much money the Cockrums got, but having a friend like Clifford Meth is worth more than a million dollars. - John Romita

Cliff’s writing has attitude. While his stories are frequently angry or outrageous, they’re all honest insights into the human psyche. - Dave Cockrum (co-creator of The X-Men)

Meth is a unique and exciting voice--funny, twisted, visionary. His insights into character and culture are often startling and his stories, always entertaining. I am a huge fan. - Richard Saperstein, Pres. The Weinstein Company

Clifford Meth sharpens the mundane details of everyday life to a razor's edge. I know of no other experience so simultaneously depressing...and uplifting. - Steve Brown, Chairman IDT Entertainment

You write character dialogue like O'Hara & string words together so effortlessly, kiddo. Kudos to you! Love good writing--the stuff so rare in comics & animation, my two vexing venues...I'm ossified, I'm sure, by actually reading top story work. - Alex Toth

Although they're called dark fiction, there's a "real" quality to Clifford Meth's stories that lifts them up and out of his books. And each successive story remains unique enough to make me start another, wondering what he'll come up with next. - Steve Forbert

Clifford Meth knows things. Dark, dank, nasty things... He doesn't scrape away the barnacles covering the hull of human interaction so much as he lifts up the barnacles, describes what's under them, and then puts the barnacles back and walks away with his hands in his pockets, whistling in the dark. - Peter David

Clifford Meth has done more to make the comic book industry better for its creators than has the collective career of many good people working within it. Those who speak much and do little struggle to fathom how some inspire granduer with few words. To them, Clifford Meth is of the unfathomable. - Michael Netzer

[Meth's] work is about the dark side of life, as if he were sculpting beautifully realistic statues while working exclusively in blood and excrement. And then setting them on fire...I'm a huge fan. I read him mouth open and giggling, stunned, amused and aroused. - Bill Messner-Loebs

I read Clifford Meth because the guy has a unique niche. He doesn't write fiction--he writes punk fiction! - Andy Shernoff (The Dictators)

Meth's writing is dark, relentless and always in your face. It doesn’t make for easy reading, but it is highly emotional and makes you pay attention, which is the best thing a writer can do... He writes from a place others won’t walk. - Marv Wolfman (creator of Blade)

Every Clifford Meth story is a tale of two balls. - Peppi Marchello (The Good Rats)

If you have missed the true, revealing richness of [Meth's] implications, then consider this an urgent reminder--a rap on the knuckles--to read it again. - Robert Bloch (author of Psycho)

Cliff writes very well about very intimate subjects.- Steve Gerber (creator of Howard the Duck)

It's easy to be your friend when there ain't no shit coming down. It's when the nails are being driven into your wrists that you find out whether somebody is a real friend and a stand-up person. And that's Cliff. - Harlan Ellison

Cliff, on behalf of the creative community, let me be the zillionth to thank you for the great care and Ellisonian-level protectiveness you've shown to the giants. - Mark Waid

Meth can be subtle, beautiful and venal in one sentence. - Howard Chaykin

Saying good things about Clifford Meth is like giving endorsements to Zorro. - Barney Dannelke

Comics for Sale

In addition to representing Dave Cockrum's personal collection for his Estate, I am selling my Silver Age collection. Click here for details.